Stephen A. Smith questioned why LeBron James killed a potential deal that would have sent him to the Warriors at the trade deadline. Smith confirmed that the story first reported by his fellow ESPN colleagues was true but asked what it said about LeBron. “How happy is LeBron with the Lakers management?” Smith asked. However, he went on to say, “LeBron James. If there is one person on Earth you should want to play with, it’s Steph Curry”.
Per the original ESPN report, the efforts of the Warriors to acquire LeBron didn’t get past an initial phone call. Warriors owner Joe Lacob reached out directly to his Lakers counterpart Jeannie Buss. The deal was struck down by Buss and Rich Paul. LeBron’s agent. However, the Warriors were not the only team reportedly interested in LeBron. Earlier in the run-up to the deadline, the Sixers Daryl Morey reached out to Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. Morey wanted to enquire about LeBron’s availability after seeing his cryptic hourglass tweet. That conversation was quickly ended when Pelinka asked Morey whether Joel Embiid was available.
Meanwhile, following the trade deadline, LeBron had a very simple answer when asked if he had thought about what he was going to do with his player option year for next season – “No.” The veteran star gave the blunt answer following a Lakers shootaround ahead of their marquee clash against the Knicks. LeBron has a $51.4 million player option for the 2024/25 with a late-July opt-in deadline. That opt-in deadline comes a few days after the NBA Draft. As a result, many pundits believe LeBron will wait to see if and where his son Bronny is drafted.
However, the speculation and trade shutdown haven’t stopped people from making their trade pitches regardless. Smith caused a stir after using a segment on First Take to pitch a deadline trade between his Knicks and the Lakers to acquire LeBron James. Smith’s pitch was more based on the vibes of “LeBron at MSG” rather than how LeBron would actually make the Knicks a better team. Smith’s Knicks, who are playing without Julius Randle until after the All-Star break, are fourth in the East with a 33-21 record.
Draymond Green and Jusuf Nurkic wasted no time in reigniting their beef as the two players faced for the first time since Green’s December suspension for striking Nurkic in the head. In the first quarter of the Warriors’ win over Phoenix, Nurkic slapped the floor and hit Green with the “too small” taunt after putting in a shot over the veteran forward. Two minutes later, Green scored on Nurkic and smacked the court just as the Suns center had. “You can’t be a nothing defender if you’re going to do that. You probably outweigh me by 70 pounds and you get put in the rim? Got to be more careful,” Green later said of Nurkic.
Despite his own role in the on-court beef, Nurkic argued that it was a “matter of time” before Green was suspended again. “It’s sad. He didn’t learn anything. Just a matter of time. He’s going to hit somebody else again. Take back everything I said. He don’t deserve a chance,” Nurkic said. However, Green chose not to elevate things when informed of his rival’s comments. “I thought I was great tonight. He tried to get in my head, and it didn’t work. If he wants me to walk around quiet, like him, I’m never going to do that. Quiet guys don’t win. He can keep rocking with that same horse that he rode in on. He can ride his a– right out of here on that same horse. It’s not working,” Green quipped.
Draymond Green Missing From Initial Team USA Olympic Pool
“It’s sad. He didn’t learn anything. Just a matter of time. He’s going to hit somebody else again. Take back everything I said. He don’t deserve a chance.”
Jusuf Nurkic on Draymond Green, who got suspended after hitting him in face Dec. 12.
However, Green is still feeling some of the consequences of his rocky, suspension-filled start to the season. Last month, Green was the most notable name missing from the initial 41-player pool for the Team USA Men’s Basketball Olympic Roster. The exclusion of Green, who won gold in 2016 and 2020, was surprising given that his club head coach, Steve Kerr, is also the national team coach. However, USA Basketball executive director Grant Hill explained that it was Green’s on-court antics keeping him out of contention at the moment. “His contributions have been significant, and he is a real part of the legacy of this organization for his excellence. But I think just in lieu of sort of what’s transpired this year, we made a decision to not have [Green] on this list with this particular point in time with the process,” Hill said in a media Zoom call.
Green will be able to play his way into the roster over the next few months. The team isn’t expected to be picked until May at the earliest. Meanwhile, the rest of the list is a veritable list of bona fide NBA talent. LeBron, Steph Curry, Jayson Tatum, and Joel Embiid all appear on the list. However, there is also a cache of younger stars like Walker Kessler, Chet Holgrem, and Tyrese Haliburton.
A Miami Heat fan was ejected from the team’s recent game against the Clippers after appearing to call Russell Westbrook “boy”. While footage of the full interaction has not appeared online, a clip film immediately before the fan was asked to leave has. It shows the man shouting “I paid for these seats, boy” at Westbrook. However, due to the abridged nature of the publicly posted clips, it is currently unclear what started the argument between the fan and Westbrook.
“Boy”, especially when used by a white individual towards a Black man, is considered to be a racial slur. It harkens back to the days of the Jim Crow South and is considered both demeaningly and highly offensive. The NBA, Heat, and Clippers are all yet to address the incident publicly. This is a developing story and we’ll have any updates as and when they emerge.
Westbrook has appeared in 50 games this season, but has started just 10 of them. Despite this, he is averaging 22.8 minutes a game along with a 11.3/5.5/4.7 stat line. This is Westbrook’s first full season with the Clippers. He joined them in a deadline trade last year which moved him across LA from the Lakers. The Clippers are currently fourth in the West with a 34-16 record.
However, their current success is a major turnaround from the team that started 3-7 and was 10-10 after 20 games. At one point early in the season, Westbrook asked the Clippers coaching staff to transition him to a bench role amid the team’s six-game losing streak. According to sources who spoke with Bleacher Report, Westbrook requested the move in an attempt to allow the first team unit to develop more cohesion. It allowed Terance Mann to play a more impactful cleanup role alongside James Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard. As a result, Westbrook brought a bigger veteran leadership role to the second unit. This helped open the floor up more while Harden and Leonard weren’t there.
The tumultuous Wizards tenure of Jordan Poole continued as home fans booed him for a 0-point game against the Cavs. Poole went 0-5 from the field and 0-4 from three as the Wizards fell 114-106 for their 41st loss of the season. Poole did have 2 rebounds and 5 assists but that was far from enough to silence the frustrated home crowd. Kyle Kuzma and Corey Kispert combined for 51 points as the Wizards kept it close. Meanwhile, the Cavs were led by a 40-point performance from Donovan Mitchell to improve to 33-16.
After being traded to Washington, Poole has had a wild season. There have been flashy alley-oops to himself while down 20. He annoyed his teammates by calling his own shot multiple times in the preseason. However, he also simply epitomizes the mediocrity of a Wizards team that seemingly has no desire to improve. Putting up 15.6/2.3/3.6, he is the best player on a bad team but is not the “best player” in the same way that LeBron was the best player on those bad Cavs teams.
Kevin Garnett Says Jordan Poole “Does Not Belong In The League”
Wizards fans booing Jordan Poole after not scoring a single point in tonight’s gamepic.twitter.com/VLzb5JmpF4
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) February 8, 2024
Meanwhile, it’s not just fans who are frustrated with Poole. Last November, Kevin Garnett also took aim at Poole. Speaking on his show on Showtime, Garnett spent several minutes roasting Poole, eventually saying “he does not belong in the league”. Garnett questioned Poole’s professionalism, as well as his myriad antics that have already occurred during the early weeks of the NBA season.
However, one person who seemingly has Poole’s back is Andre Iguodala. In a September podcast appearance with JJ Redick, Iguodala reflected on the less-than-ideal role that Poole had to play for the Warriors. In short, Iguodala summarized that the Warriors were built around Steph, Klay, and Draymond. Poole, who would often play off the bench, was expected to play without the freedom or the eccentricities afforded to the team’s Big Three. If Draymond was having a wild night with errant passes and the like, Poole had to be perfect. If Steph was cold from three, Poole had to be hot. In Iguodala’s eyes, Poole had to play clean-up to whatever the Big Three wasn’t doing on any particular night.
LeBron James had a very simple answer when asked if he had thought about what he was going to do with his player option year for next season – “No.” The veteran star gave the blunt answer following a Lakers shootaround ahead of their marquee clash against the Knicks. LeBron has a $51.4 million player option for the 2024/25 with a late-July opt-in deadline. Since that deadline comes a few days after the NBA Draft, many pundits believe LeBron will wait to see if and where his son Bronny is drafted.
However, the news comes a day after LeBron’s agent shut down speculation that LeBron could be dealt at the trade deadline. “LeBron won’t be traded, and we aren’t asking to be,” Paul said in response to growing speculation that LeBron might be leaving the Lakers midseason. Of course, LeBron hasn’t helped quiet the rumors. Following a loss to the Lakers earlier this week, LeBron posted an hourglass emoji to social media.
Stephen A. Smith Wants The Knicks To Trade For LeBron James
LeBron James declined to offer clarity on his tweet and when asked if he knows what he will do with his contract option for the Lakers this summer said, “No.” pic.twitter.com/0IydouZpPm
However, Paul’s comments about his biggest client haven’t stopped people from making their trade pitches regardless. Stephen A. Smith has caused a stir after using a segment on First Take to pitch a deadline trade between his Knicks and the Lakers to acquire LeBron James. Smith’s pitch is more based on the vibes of “LeBron at MSG” rather than how LeBron would actually make the Knicks a better team. Smith’s Knicks are currently in the East and are riding a six-game winstreak. However, they recently lost the team’s second scorer, Julius Randle, until at least after the All-Star Game.
Ahead of tonight’s game against the Knicks, LeBron was asked whether he had ever considered what it would be like to have MSG as a home court. “During my free agency period in 2010, it was one of the teams that I looked at. So I’ve had that thought in my career. However, he also made it clear that his focus is the Lakers for the time being. “I’m very proud of our efforts in Boston. Those guys stepped up and played exceptional basketball. Beautiful to see. Beautiful to watch. If we can play some good basketball, string a couple wins together, and not be so Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on any given night, then we’ll be OK,” LeBron said.
After seeing Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić sit out the Dallas Mavericks’ 2022/23 regular-season finale with the playoffs still attainable for the team, the NBA decided to do something about load management. Baked into the new CBA ratified during the offseason was a revision to the player participation policy. These clauses were designed to keep the league’s best players on the court for as much of the season as possible. These rules revolved around the use of “star players” (defined as an All-Star or All-NBAer from the past three seasons).
Teams can only rest one “star player” per game.
Teams cannot rest any “star player” for nationally televised games or in-season tournament games.
Players must play at least 20 minutes in at least 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards such as MVP and All-NBA teams.
However, the NBA’s plan to create a better TV product has created a worse basketball product. The players are unhappy, the fans are unhappy. And when the biggest players in the league, such as presumptive MVP Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Haliburton, are openly criticizing league policies, it might be a sign to re-evaluate said policies.
If asked, most players will say they that don’t prioritize postseason awards over their long-term health and season-long contributions to their team. However, the league has now forced them into a situation where those awards, nice bonuses to a season well-played, are dependent on an arbitrary participation percentage. Joel Embiid is having one of the greatest seasons in NBA history. But if he will be ruled ineligible for the MVP award if he misses six more games this season. What meaning does the MVP award actually have if the league’s best player is ineligible because he played 64 games and not 65?
Furthermore, the rule can have major financial impacts for players. Tyrese Haliburton is having the best season of his young career. However, the Rest Rule means that the Pacers star could lose out on $40 million if he is ruled ineligible for All-NBA team selection. Earning an All-NBA selection would see him fulfill a rookie contract clause that would raise the ceiling of his max contract extension by the aforementioned $40 million. However, Haliburton has struggled with a spate of midseason injuries. As a result, Haliburton will need to play in 30 of the Pacers’ remaining 34 games to be eligible. Haliburton has been particularly vocal about the rule, calling it “stupid” and “something that the owners want”.
The end result is further disincentivizing players from pursuing postseason awards. If the eligibility criteria are this strict, why would any player play with the awards in mind over prioritizing their career longevity? It’s a sentiment that Embiid himself has already acknowledged. “The goal is to be ready for the playoffs. If I can’t meet the criteria of 65 games … as long as I’m ready to be dominant in that time in April, that’s all I care about,” Embiid told reporters in January.
Meanwhile, the rule ignores a crucial reality about professional sport – player rotation is vital to long-term success. The NBA season is 82 games long with multiple games for each team in a given week. And given the ebbs and floes of a typical season, every game is not made equal. Take Embiid’s Sixers – between February 23 and March 3, four of their five games are nationally televised. According to the NBA’s Rest Rule, that means that Embiid must played all of four of those games for at least 20 minutes. Howeer, he could be rested for the one non-televised game against Charlotte. Sounds reasonable right? But things immediately fall apart when a team has more than one “star player”. The Timberwolves only have two televised games over that same span but they have 4 “star players” as well as four games against playoff teams.
What this leads to is 82-game seasons becoming a war of attrition. The end of the season should be the most exciting time of the year. Games often decide divisional battles and playoff seedings. But if players are being forced to play as much as they can physically handle, fans get treated to season-ending slogfests between guys trying to fill league-mandated quotas while also trying to converse something for the playoffs. While not a 1:1 comparison – no one bats an eye at rotation in a sport like soccer. This is despite soccer teams playing vastily shorter seasons. Manchester City won three trophies across five competitions last season and still only played 61 games.
As a result of the Rest Rule, the NBA is attempting to turn every player into an ironman. Furthermore, this is done for no other reason than the owners wanting players to “earn” every cent of their contract.
Barring an U-turn from the league, the Rest Rule is likely here to stay. But that doesn’t mean it has to remain the same. A more lenient eligibility cap would go a long way to reduce the ironman mentality that many players are currently facing. A more drastic solution would be to expand the size of NBA rosters to reduce the level of attrition imposed on squads.
But do you think – are you a fan of the rest rule? Are you siding with the players and want it gone next season? Let us know in the comments.
The NBA has announced that AT&T will once again be the presenting partner for the NBA HBCU Classic, marking their third consecutive year of collaboration. In this ongoing commitment to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), participating schools Virginia Union University (VUU) and Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) from the CIAA will each receive $100,000 from the NBA and AT&T.
Associate partners for the HBCU Classic include Foot Locker, Google Pixel, STARRY, and Under Armour. The event, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 17, will be broadcast on TNT, NBA TV, and ESPN2, featuring an on-air team led by Grant Hill, Chris Haynes, and Brian Custer. Notable ESPN hosts and HBCU alumni Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe will join the telecast to share their HBCU experiences.
As part of the festivities during NBA All-Star 2024, HBCU students will have opportunities for professional development, including an AT&T HBCU Career Development Session featuring NBA and AT&T executives, corporate partners, and NBA staff. Under Armour will also outfit both universities in custom HBCU jerseys and sneakers from its Black History Month collection.
You can learn about the HBCU Classic’s events here.
The NBA All-Star reserves for the Eastern and Western Conferences were announced on Thursday, introducing a mix of rising talents and seasoned stars set to illuminate the midseason celebration in Indianapolis.
In the Eastern Conference, the seven reserves include first-time All-Stars Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, and Paolo Banchero, alongside more experienced players like Bam Adebayo, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, and Julius Randle. Mitchell, with five selections, leads the pack in experience. Notably, each of the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers, and Knicks contributes two All-Stars between the starters and reserves.
Turning to the Western Conference, the reserves showcase a trio of former All-Star MVPs in Anthony Davis (2017), Kawhi Leonard (2020), and Stephen Curry (2022). The West boasts zero first-time All-Stars, with Anthony Edwards being the least experienced, earning his second selection. The seven players collectively hold an impressive 44 All-Star selections, averaging 6.29 per player. Notably, the Wolves, Suns, Lakers, and Clippers each contribute two All-Stars to the West roster, forming a formidable lineup for the All-Star festivities.
Another day, another Tyrese Haliburton pre-game fit getting roasted online. This time, the target of the internet’s mockery was Haliburton’s bulky knee-length silver coat, complete with shoulder pads. Fans quickly compared the look to M. Bison, the iconic Street Fighter villain. Within minutes of the comparison being made, someone had recolored the photo of Haliburton to Bison’s iconic red, as well as adding the villain’s signature hat.
Of course, this is just the most recent time that Haliburton’s outfit has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. In January, he was pulled into the beef between Yasiin Bey and Drake after fans noted that a sidelined Haliburton looked a lot like the artist formerly known as Mos Def. “Mos Def hearing “Passionfruit” in Target,” one person wrote on X over a photo of Haliburton appearing to protest a call at a Pacers game.
Elsewhere, Haliburton was officially named an All-Star starter this week. It’s the second All-Star nod of his young career after also earning the honor in 2023. Haliburton joins Giannis, Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard, and Jayson Tatum. The All-Star Game takes place on February 18 on Haliburton’s home court in Indianapolis.
Earlier in the season, Haliburton got a shoutout from Lillard after hitting the Bucks star’s signature celebration against him. “I learned as a kid, when you dish it out, you’ve got to be willing to take it. For as many times as I’ve done it to people, I can’t be upset when somebody else does it, you know what I mean. I think that’s also a sign of respect and acknowledgment for knowing my history and knowing what I do. I didn’t mind it. It was what it was. I’ve also known that, you know, when you are having your moment, it’s important to be careful, to be humble in your moments because you just never know how the tables are going to turn or when they are going to turn. I respected it. We shook hands after the game. I wasn’t moved by it left or right,” Lillard said.
Julius Randle will miss two to three weeks with a right shoulder injury. Randle went down with the dislocation during a game against the Heat last weekend. The veteran is averaging 24.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5 assists this season. He stands a chance to be named to the third All-Star game of his career when reserves for the Indiana-hosted game are named later today.
However, fans aren’t too worried about the injury. “Yes… if Brunson were to go down, they’d be in big trouble though,” one fan said in response to a social media post asking if the Knicks “can still roll”. “It’s not randles team. It’s been brunson’s team,” concurred another fan. Jalen Brunson is currently the team’s leading scorer and assists provider, averaging 26.8 points and 6.5 assists per game.
Knicks Fans Credit Coi Leray For Massive Jalen Brunson Game
Sources: Knicks star Julius Randle is expected to be sidelined for at least a few weeks with a right shoulder dislocation. Appears to be a sigh of relief for New York as initial reviews of MRI reveal no significant damage. pic.twitter.com/b4JAwMI0GJ
Meanwhile, Knicks fans are still rejoicing over one of Jalen Brunson’s biggest games this season. With Coi Leray pretty in pink courtside, Jalen Brunson balled out against the Wizards on January 18. Brunson dropped a 41/8/8 stat line in the 113-108 win. It was Brunson’s fourth 40-point game of the season and his first since dropping a career-high 50 points against the Suns in December. However, fans were quick to joke that it was Leray’s presence that spurred Brunson’s big performance. Prior to the game against Washington, Brunson was averaging 25.9 points per game through the first seven games of January. Perhaps it was the presence of Leray that, as one X user put it, turned Brunson into “2001 Allen Iverson”. However, on the other hand, he was playing against the Wizards.
Despite the big performance, Brunson did not receive much help from his teammates. Randle was the only other Knick to break 20 points while the bench combined for just seven points. Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 24 points. Meanwhile, Leray’s close friend Kyle Kuzma had 15. At the time of writing, the Knicks are 31-17 on the season and currently occupy third place in the Eastern Conference standings.
(@big_business_) 
tweet and when asked if he knows what he will do with his contract option for the Lakers this summer said, “No.” 
(@Tommy_W1587)